The Hill News

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is trying to capitalize on House Speaker John Boehner’s recent comments on tax breaks for oil companies, urging the public to call on him to support ending them.

Two days after Boehner (R-Ohio) suggested in an ABC News interview that he was open to eliminating the subsidies for oil and gas producers, Democrats unveiled a multiplatform push urging voters to "Hold John Boehner to his word."

"Fuel prices are too high â€" that much is clear. Now it's time to do something about the problem," the DNC website reads. "Speaker John Boehner has already said that ending this giveaway for the gas and oil industry is 'certainly something we should be looking at.' But we want to get the commitment in writing."

"Contact his office and ask him to make it clear if he stands with the energy companies or with the American people on this issue," the statement continues.

The DNC's push also includes using Tw! itter. The committee is urging voters to tweet Boehner saying either, "Stand with the American people and not big oil, @SpeakerBoehner. Make good on your comment to end tax breaks for oil companies" or "We are holding you to your word, @SpeakerBoehner. It's time to put an end to tax breaks for big oil & reduce our dependence on foreign oil."

The DNC push comes as Democrats call on Boehner to back an end to the tax breaks. On Tuesday, President Obama sent a letter to House and Senate leadership saying he was "heartened" that Boehner "expressed openness to eliminating these tax subsidies for the oil and gas industry."

"Our political system has for too long avoided and ignored this important step, and I hope we can come together in a bipartisan manner to get it done," Obama wrote.

Obama also called on Congress to get behind ending the subsidies while acknowledging that Republicans probably would not like that idea.

For months, Senate! Democrats have been trying to end a number of the subsidies i! n part t o fund some of their spending priorities. They also want to use the issue to paint Republicans as being in favor of giving corporations and wealthy individuals generous tax breaks.

Tax breaks have become an even hotter political topic lately thanks to rapidly rising gas prices, which appear to have dragged Obama down in the polls.